Risu Antares
Risu Antares served as the Astronomy Professor (2071-75) at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Name: Risu Antares Date of birth: 23 September, 2029 Parents: Karin and Per Laelaps-Antares. No siblings, no pets. Years attended Hogwarts: 2046-2048, Swedish Magical Academy prior to that. Hogwarts House: Slytherin Current Hogwarts Staff Position: Astronomy Professor Former occupation: Post-doc research fellow, Square Kilometre Array Hair: Dark brown. Mostly. Eyes: Dark brown. Completely. Height: 1.83m (6 ft.) 'Background' Risu was born in Luleå, Sweden. His parents, though a witch and a wizard, had Muggle occupations and worked as general practitioners in their own practice. They more or less avoided the rest of the wizarding community. Risu grew up surrounded by Muggles, visiting a Muggle kindergarten and primary school. While the icy norths of Scandinavia (and Luleå's proximity to the Arctic Circle) generally tend to dampen people's moods, they also make for clear skies - still in primary school, Risu began to put the endless, freezing nights to good use, observing the stars through a telescope he had been given as a Christmas present on his 8th birthday. When his magical abilities began to manifest a few years later, his parents, concerned with the possibility of an accidental discovery or involvement by the Swedish magical authorities, sent him to Stockholm where he was given a place at the Swedish Magical Institute. The city offered less opportunities to gaze into the night sky, but the school provided Risu with an appropriate education. One part of this education was to spend at least one year abroad, and, flipping through a list of different schools of magic, Risu noticed a remote castle tucked away in the Scottish highlands, free of the light pollution of a million cars and city lights... Risu spent his final two years at Hogwarts, graduating from the school with NEWTs in Muggle Studies, History of Magic, and, naturally enough, Astronomy as well as a smattering of OWLs in other, more "magical" subjects. Thus free of his obligations to the wizarding world, he returned to Stockholm and enrolled at Stockholm University to study Astrophysics. After graduation, Risu pursued his interests further, relocating to South Africa and working on the Square Kilometre Array. His efforts there were eventually awarded - by himself - with a doctoral thesis based on his work. Now a certified PhD, Risu continued his research at the Array until he was alerted to the possibility of a teaching position at Hogwarts through a friend at Stockholm Observatory. Feeling that it was time to get out of the African desert (where, at any rate, he spent most of his time mapping distant galaxies), Risu moved to London to rejoin the community of witches and wizards. 'Personality' Long years behind computers at the Square Kilometre Array, working with similarly interested - or obsessed - colleagues and graduate students have taken their toll on Risu's social skills, but he can get along with pretty much anyone; even though, in many cases, his own contribution to a conversation consists mainly of explanations of his research or stories and anecdotes of his time in South Africa. Being deeply involved in unravelling the mysteries of the cosmos, Risu sometimes has trouble focusing on more earthly matters. He accepts every turn of events with a kind of good-natured passivity that can drive a more involved and proactive person crazy, but, as he will advise, having spent a considerable number of years reading data sheets, adjusting expensive telescopes, and waiting for computer analyses to finish, running about and shouting is not helpful in the least. Almost constantly in good humour, Risu observes the world with pleasant interest and the occasional application of well-aimed sarcasm. Even though he speaks English quite well - a prerequisite for joining the scientific community as well as, obviously, teaching at Hogwarts - he sometimes slips into what remains of his Swedish accent, particularly when he's excited or emphasising something. Category:Alumni Category:Characters Category:Slytherin Category:Class of 2048 Category:Hogwarts Category:Staff Category:Astronomy Category:Professors